The invention concerns a carrying device for a closed umbrella and a method for using such a carrying device. More particularly, the invention concerns a flexible strap or strip of material which can be easily attached at both ends of the umbrella and used as a sling to carry the umbrella over the shoulder.
Many people carry a closed umbrella around with them in one hand when rain is likely. Carrying an umbrella in this way, however, makes it impossible to use the hand for other purposes and may even be dangerous if the person carrying it loses his balance and needs to suddenly grab onto a support. It is therefore desirable to provide a device which permits an umbrella to be carried "hands free" and to provide a method of employing the device that will allow the umbrella to be brought along without encumbering the user.
Many devices of this type are known. Some involve a loop attached to a handle which can be slipped over the carrier's wrist, allowing the umbrella to dangle from it.
Such a device is disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 2,493,705 to Vogel. However, although such a device does free the carrier's hand, still weighs it down and is therefore less than fully satisfactory.
Other devices comprise means for securing the umbrella to another object being carried by the person or securing the umbrella to the person's clothes. See for example, the U.S. Pat. No. 652,891 to Cochran. Although this approach does to some extent consolidate the various burdens and completely frees the hands, it is cumbersome and often requires special means of attachment mounted on the umbrella being carried.
Also known are lengths of flexible material that extend approximately from the handle to the ferrule (tip) of an umbrella and allow it to be flung over one shoulder or across the back. Such lengths may be permanently attached to the umbrella or to special fasteners on it. U.S. Pat. No. 4,907,614 to Stamm discloses a flexible carrying "handle," each end of which fits into a slotted eye, one in the handle and the other at the ferrule. The U.S. Pat. No. 3,279,663 to Torres discloses an umbrella strap which requires that a metal eye be attached to the handle of the umbrella. The drawback of this solution, however, is that the strap either constitutes a component of the umbrella itself or, because of the special type of fasteners employed, the strap must be purchased together with an umbrella or specifically for a particular type of umbrella.
The U.S. Pat. No. 5,025,819 to Taylor discloses an umbrella manufactured with a built in box containing spring loaded spool that unwinds a strap with a non-adjustable metal loop at the end. Such an arrangement, if designed to be retrofitted to an existing umbrella, will fit only certain types of umbrellas. In addition, Taylor discloses a separate device which is meant to carry a raincoat on an umbrella. This device has non-elastic loops at each end which are used to hang the device onto a closed umbrella by placing one closed aperture over a projecting spine or rib member that supports the canopy of the umbrella and the other over the umbrella ferrule.
Various arrangements are known for attaching a strap to a handle. For example, the U.S. Pat. No. 4,085,872 to Foo discloses an elastic loop for a tennis racket handle and the U.S. Pat. No. 3,334,794 discloses a slip loop for a gun stock. None of these disclosures address the problem of providing a slip free grip at both ends of an umbrella.